


Easy Habits

by threesipsmore



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:26:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6533371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threesipsmore/pseuds/threesipsmore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pirates are free, Luffy is always insisting, but sometimes it’s his job to make sure it’s those very same freedoms that are keeping his crew happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Torao?”

Luffy snickers, “What about Torao?”

Nami hums thoughtfully, balancing herself against the railing behind her. Luffy is perched precariously atop it, sandals digging into the wood.

“Well,” she’s saying, “maybe— I’m just saying, you know, not from any sort of personal agenda but— well he’s been a bit _active_ lately, hasn’t he?”

Luffy rolls the candy about in his mouth; Sanji had said it was unbreakable, had popped it into his mouth to keep him sated until the meat started to sweat in the oven.

“Active?”

Nami’s lips are pressed thin, her cheeks puffing out a bit at the thought of elaborating her intentions. “Just, I know you know what I mean Luffy. We’re in an alliance, aren’t we? If the papers start writing about his _easy habits_ then maybe it’ll make us look easy too by association.”

Luffy shrugs it off with a grin. “Aye, we’re pirates, Nami, he’s just being free! Let him be free!”

She huffs, and he jerks in pain after chomping down on the candy.

* * *

 

 

Law is gone again. Luffy tiptoes along the railing, lips pursed as he waits for him. He’d wanted to show him the new meat candy Sanji had concocted. He’s near done sucking on it when the creaks of the gangplank reveal Law.

“Strawhat-ya?”

Luffy gives the candy a big suck and grins at the man, hopping down behind him once he’s on deck. “Torao, Torao,” he’s singing, “look what Sanji made!”

He sticks out his tongue, the deceivingly pink ball tiny and white-washed.

Law cocks a slender brow at him, before he’s muttering and Luffy is tailing after him with a ramble and a high voice.

“Hey!”

They stop, Law’s hand to the cabin door as a man stumbles irritably onto the ship. Luffy pauses, eyes on him.

“Little bitch, leading me on,” he's grumbling, swaying a bit, wet eyes trying their damnedest to focus on them. Luffy cocks his head and Law sighs, hand tugging at his face. He opens his mouth—

“Torao,” Luffy says, “I don’t mind what you do outside this ship, but you should respect her enough not to bring any of it back with you.”

It takes Law a moment to realize he’s talking about the Sunny, and the ship seems to groan in appreciation as Luffy stalks forward. In that moment, under a heavy moon, Law wonders what Luffy’s expression had been as he’d said those words.

* * *

 

 

He wants to see. He tries to find the reason behind it, but it starts to throb at his temple when he tries so he just shrugs it off. But he still wants to see. Torao never seems to be happy with his _hobby_ , as Brook puts it kindly, and Luffy wants to know why. He can help, there’s always a way to help.

That was the great thing about the world, it was so fucked up the there was always room for Luffy.

So he edges along after Law, hands behind his back as he casually skips along roofs and chimneys. He’s down there, Torao, sword pressed to him in a grip that lacked malice. Luffy watches him, slipping into the gutter once Law makes a sharp turn.

He almost gets distracted twice, by a bakery preparing for a new day and a restaurant that dredges on into the later hours. He dips his head and peers into the windows of a cat cafe, mouth hanging open happily as he stretches his neck and waves it back and forth, the felines swatting at the glass as they watch him. He pauses when he notices Law ducking into a tall building. Drooping down even further, he steadies himself onto the cobblestone road.

It’s a dreary looking thing, though all the lights were on, filtered through thin curtains that revealed naked shadows.

“You looking for a ride?”

Luffy blinks at a woman, the worker leaning against the building as she taps her cigarette, flaring ashes falling.

“Ride,” he asks. He’s pretty sure this was a whorehouse, looked like every night-tower Shank’s men had ever hollered about once they’d been raging enough on liquor.

She smiles briefly, a tense, tired thing. “Fifty berries.”

Luffy scratches at his cheek. “Nah, I’m good.”

She shrugs, puffing out some more smoke, and Luffy decides it’d just be simpler to scale the building and take a peek in through the windows. What would he do once he found him— nah, he’d figure it out then. Tower now.

She wanders back in and the first window he takes a peek in has three too many people, the second one nothing but two men. He pauses by another, peering in with curious eyes as a man flips the girl over, her breasts bouncing. Nami was bigger. He shuffles along.

It becomes troublesome at some point, and he begins to just stretch his neck here and there. Torao is on the fifth and final floor, atop some woman with shiny black hair and small breasts. Luffy lets the rest of his body catch up, watching intently with a furrowed brow as Law trails his fingers along her waist and up.

He’s muttering in her ear and she’s shuddering against him and Luffy pillows his chin on his folded arms, hanging from the window ledge. She was pretty enough, what was his problem then? Why wasn’t he smiling.

Maybe that’s not how it worked. Maybe the smiling came after, when you’re in a bar with nakama and drinking.

Perhaps the brooding look was his thing. He licks her neck and Luffy tilts his head, frowning all the while. Law seems to be irritated by her hair, brushing it aside. Was he having fun? Was this fun? Why would he bother if he was just going to glower the entire time?

She’s got her hands between his legs then and Law seems to sigh into it, the creases of his face smoothing out and Luffy hums contentedly. Good. Torao was finally having fun. He kicks his feet a bit as they hang there.

Maybe Luffy had just misunderstood. Torao was just a frowny kinda guy, but he’s red now and his mouth is a bit open so he must be enjoying it.

He leaves it at that, hopping down with a grin as he considers the plastic bag of papered candy he’d found under the wine caskets in the kitchen.

* * *

 

 

He goes at it again later, a couple of days after when Torao comes back in a particularly foul mood. Luffy hums after him, skipping across the gaps of roofs with his eyes on the stars. A few of them looked duller tonight. He chastised the moon quietly, pursing his lips up at it. Damn thing was scaring all the stars away.

He nearly falls off the next building, grunting as his hand catches the edge and he dangles there. From this angle he catches a glimpse into the second floor of the building Torao had stalked into. He can see him there already, pulling off his jacket, sword propped up somewhere unseen.

This one’s a little bustier, black curls bouncing as she crosses her slim legs on the bed, the top one bobbing about. She seems more lively than the others, and he seems to notice with a new interest in his gaze.

She tugs him down and Luffy is about to leave them with confidence when Law is suddenly stumbling back. Luffy tenses up, eyes sharp on that window and that girl peers at the unseen Law with a befuddled expression. She seems to be asking if he’s okay as he quickly stuffs his arm into his jacket and fumbles out.

Luffy swings himself back up, crouched there on the edge of the building as he watches Law stalk by briskly beneath him.

Should he ask after him?

Torao stops after a moment, staring at the road intently as his thumb trails along the sheath.

“Luffy?”

Luffy grins, leaning over a bit. “Torao!”

He grimaces, waiting for the younger captain to fall after him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Following you!”

Law falters a bit, but keeps moving still and Luffy peers up at him, arms folded behind his head. “Was she pretty?”

“She was okay.”

“Then why’d you run away?”

Law keeps his silence and Luffy huffs, steps obnoxiously large. “Is it because her breasts were heavier? You seem to like the tiny ones.”

Law bites his tongue, and Luffy snickers. “You’ve got a type, eh, Torao? That’s not good, you gotta appreciate everybody. It’s just like nakama. Sanji can get real loud sometimes, but I like his cooking, and Nami yells too much, but she’s good at what she does. Imagine if I had a ship full of Namis. I’d starve and die.”

He’s grinning far too brightly, and Law stares at him. “This kind of thing is different, Strawhat-ya,” he decides to mutter, “your crew is essential, but what happens in that room is unneeded and therefore requires extra consideration. If I’m going to go out of my way to do the unnecessary, then I might as well be selective about it.”

Luffy frowns thoughtfully, kicking at stray pebbles. They were in an alliance, so Luffy should be there to help. “If I see any girls you'd like I’ll tell you, Torao. I’m sure they’d play with you even if they don’t work in a whorehouse.”

Law grunts, and they walk back in silence.

* * *

 

 

There’s this large, red-bricked island with potted daisies everywhere. Luffy catches up to her not a moment too late, her hand to the brass knob of her little cottage, the windmill catching the breeze with gusto. He grins up at her, hand to his hat.

“Hey! Would you like to meet my friend? He’s great really, and there’s food too!”

She stares at him with these large, dark eyes, gaping a bit.

“Excuse me?”

Luffy’s grin grows, and he’s tugging at her arm then, laughing. “He’s really gonna like you! And even if you don’t want to, at least come for the food!”

He doesn’t understand the commotion of it later.

“Luffy,” Nami is saying in awe, peering at the girl, “she looks just like you!”

Sanji offers the stranger a drink, smiling charmingly, “As if Luffy could ever conjure such a decadent twin.”

Franky shifts about, his hair blooming in cherry blossoms as Brook strings along a subtle song. She turns to Luffy, that girl, cheeks a bit pink as she takes a small sip. “You’re a pirate?”

Luffy cackles happily, taking a great big bite of the kabob as he speaks around the meat and onion. “Of course! What else could I be?”

She watches him intently, and it’s when Law saunters up from below deck that Luffy jerks forward. “Torao,” he’s waving at him obnoxiously, “Torao lookie!”

He’s gone pale, Law, eyes caught on that girl whose gaze probes at him curiously.

“You can always say no,” Luffy is telling her with a pointed look, nodding his food at her, “it’s totally fine. Torao is a good guy.”

Law grabs at Luffy’s arm, yanking him aside as Chopper squeals from somewhere to the side, little hooves piling the petals up in gleeful awe. That girl gets left there in the sun.

“Get her out of here,” Law grits out after some distance, and Luffy frowns up at him.

“You don’t like her?”

“I don’t want her.”

Luffy pouts. “Fine then, but she stays for food, I promised food.”

Law pauses, jaw tense as he glares at the younger, smaller boy. “I’m leaving, then.”

“Ehhh,” Luffy grumbles somewhat knowingly, “so it’s not fun then.”

Law turns on him, the shade separating them from the sunny, jubilant happenings of the yard and the crew. “What are you going on about,” he growls.

“You do it like it’s a job,” Luffy huffs, “Nami would die if she knew you were spending money to _do_ a job. Sometimes you loosen up, but in the end you’re always so stiff after.”

Law’s staring at him in abstract contemplation. “You still following me, Strawhat-ya?”

Luffy looks indignant, biting into another bit of meat.

Law grabs at Luffy suddenly, fingers digging insistently, _“You been watching me, Luffy?”_

“You’re—“ Luffy scowls in thought, “you’re like nakama, or something like that. I gotta make sure you’e happy too. If these girls make you happy, then I’ll help, but if I get any sort of hint that they’re hurting you then—”

“You wanna help me, Strawhat-ya? Then get her off this ship.”

“Why,” Luffy glares at him stubbornly.

“Because,” Law grinds out, frustration creasing his face, “it’s too close!”

Luffy tilts his head, not giving in as he folds his arms, the empty stick clutched between his fingers. “Too close?”

Law’s got his hand on the small of Luffy’s back, pulling him in as he hisses, “Too fucking close to you, you little shit.”

Luffy looks back at her, Sanji easing her into a pillowed seat. “Eh,” he shrugs, “not really. How can someone look like me if they’re not me?”

Law seems to take those words to heart, fingers loosening as they barely brush the fabric of Luffy’s shirt. “Isn’t that it, though? I don’t know what’s worse, when they look like you, or when they don’t.”

Luffy gets it now, so suddenly and confidently he _gets it_. He gets it, and he’s trying to decide now what to do with it. Law was trapped, and wasn’t it Luffy’s job to free him? If Luffy was trapped then Law would come running for sure. Or maybe he’d walk. Law liked walking.

“Would it help you,” he says, “being with me?”

Law is tense, eyes a bit wide, as if being offered something both poisonous and beautiful.

“If your heart's not into it, then it’s still not really you, is it,” he’s snorting, and he backs off, a mask of indifference to him. “It’s never been about what I want, but about what's reasonable.”

Law disappears under the ship, and that girl enjoys her stay until the red evening, commenting on their livelihood and her desire to see the world. They leave her there at that friendly island, waving her off as they follow the current out to sea.

* * *

 

 

Reasonable? Reasonable was boring. But reasonable was healthy too, Sanji comments. The reasonable was in place not to prevent unreasonableness, but the hazardous. Was Luffy a hazard? Sanji seems to think so, but he says it with a tinge of affection and Luffy wonders if Law shares that affection.

Luffy did. Affection came easy to him, just like a good smile or laugh. But smiles and laughs didn’t come easy to Torao, so maybe affection didn’t either.

“I wanna try.”

He shifts into Law’s wooden bunk, the chains swaying as he balances himself atop the man. His hair hangs as he nudges the pirate awake, who promptly jerks and does his best not to disrupt the swaying wooden cot.

_"Luffy what the hell."_

Luffy peers into his face. "Let's do it."

Law is breathing a bit oddly, teeth clenched at the suddenness of it all— "You don't want that."

The small boy pinches Law's face harshly. "Why the hell would I say I wanna if I don't wanna?"

Law's fingers are digging into the wood, and Luffy leans back to stare down at him. "Kinda rude, Torao, comparing those girls to me. It's unfair to them to even try."

Law yanks Luffy down by the arm, their noses brushing, hissing. "You can't just decide shit like this."

"You decided first when you started picking up girls that looked like me," Luffy says. There's no room for argument in his gaze, nor between his words or the slip of teeth that stretched across his face. "That night that you came back annoyed, everyone was blonde on that island, weren't they. It was harder for you, right, to find someone like me in a place like that?”

Law's gone a bit blank, before he starts to toy with his thoughts, choosing his words carefully. "You're disturbingly perceptive sometimes, Strawhat-ya."

"All the better to see you with," Luffy snickers.

Law remains stiff under Luffy's resolve and all it takes is the boy laughing into his lips for that stiffness to crack. He jerks Luffy over and under him, hovering above the younger pirate who merely grins. "Eh, you're always on top in those places, Torao, boring,” he boos, “let me have a go.”

“We’re not doing this, Strawhat, I’m not something you can just appease on a whim.”

Luffy sighs loudly, throwing his arms to the side as he sinks further into the bunk. “Why are you trying to make this so difficult. Is it because you’re taller than me? Tall people always gotta try and control the smaller ones, that’s why kids have it so rough. But I’m not a kid, Torao, and if you can believe me when I say I want to be Pirate King, then you can believe me when I say I want this.”

There’s this glint to him then, though Law thinks maybe it’s just the sun in the windows, but he eases up a little, and Luffy reaches up to weigh him down with his arms, lips to his chin as he speaks.

“I heard a lot of things from the Red-Haired pirates, things they didn’t realize they were saying. Ya, Torao, you’re not a girl, but it’s kinda the same right? There’s still somewhere to put it, still somewhere to be.”

He peers up at the older man, eyes wrinkling in glee before he flicks Law’s hat off and kisses him eagerly.

Torao was stupid if he didn’t think Luffy would try anything once. Ah— Luffy realizes when Law clutches at him, that’s why he’s so cautious right now, isn’t it? It’s not just about Luffy wanting to do it, it’s about the obligations of it.

Eh, stupid Torao.

“Hey hey,” Luffy licks his lips, “it’s all or nothing.”

This was it then, this was the part where Torao either stepped up or stepped down.

Law stares at him for a good moment, mouth slick. And then he’s peeling off his shirt, a few loose feathers from the collar drifting— Torao was a real funny guy, always wearing funny things.

“Woah,” Luffy smiles, “I really like these.” His fingers trace the ink, dipping into the ridges of his muscles. “So cool.”

Law grunts, amusement lacing his gaze as his thumb comes up to toy with Luffy’s lower lip. “Isn’t this something,” he’s muttering, “you under me.”

“Eh,” Luffy frowns, “I can still top from here, right? I can make it work.”

He jerks his hips a little for emphasis and Law flinches, hands bracing on that stomach before him as his ears burn. “Torao,” Luffy cocks a brow, “you don’t want? Just say you don’t want it then, geez.”

“I do,” he’s too quick to say, “I do.”

Luffy places a warm hand on the back of his thigh and digs his fingers a bit. “Cool, then come down here and kiss me, your mouth is so warm.”

Law obliges, licking into the younger boy as Luffy’s hands tugs at his thigh, kneading the flesh there.

Luffy was at that age, wasn't he, the age where ambition had nothing to do with chemicals. He wanted to be the King of the Pirates, sure, but his hormones had no notion of the concept. The idea of Luffy getting horny, of Luffy recognizing himself, the things he could have with his body, it messed Law up, had him leaning into the boy with his hands in his hair— this straight, salt-ridden, windswept hair. There was no grace to it, no sheen or curl, just hair, a tad coarse between the fingers.

He swallows Luffy’s moan, those fingers slipping under his pants to palm his ass, Luffy murmuring something between the wet slide of lips and tongue.

“Torao,” Luffy’s mumbling, “so warm and soft.”

Law gasps when Luffy’s a bit rough with those hands, lips twitching, “Oi, Strawhat—”

“If it’s this warm and soft on the outside, wonder how nice it’s gonna be on the inside,” Luffy breathes, grin cheeky and Law is there above him, eyes wide. The bastard was imagining it, wasn’t he, what it would be like inside of Law.

“Law—” the name seems to curl from that smirk, “you’re breathing kinda funny.”

“Shut up,” Law mutters, “Luffy, just,” he swallows, “shut up. I’ve had far too long to think about this, about your voice and the way you would whine under me. How wet your mouth would be around me, how you’d beg for it, harder, faster, _deeper. How you would tremble and move without ever going anywhere._ ”

“I want that.”

Law notices Luffy then, really notices him, the way his eyes are blown, the way his lips part, his face flush, “Law, I want that,” he seems to croak.

He pushes himself up onto his elbows, eyes on Law’s mouth. “I want to hear you beg me, I want to hear it, Law, I want to hear _more_. I think I really want to fuck you. Ah shit—”

Luffy’s clutching at his own beating heart then, face pinched, “It really wants— my body really wants. Torao, _I’m really excited._ ”

He pulls at Law, devouring him, teeth and tongue and all. Law doesn’t care about the mechanics of it anymore, hands pulling at those blue shorts, yanking the boy out with a rough tug as Luffy moans, leaning into him. There's laughter up above on deck, and oh yeah, it's a nice summer day and everyone's out there enjoying it, the sea wide and blue and everywhere.

“It wants to go inside,” Luffy manages a weak grin, forehead pressed against the other’s, “it really wants, Torao. I really want. Always so grumpy, even when you’re happy or mad. I want to hear what you’re like in bed, can you be loud for me?”

Law slides his hand to the tip, thumbing the slit— what an odd sensation, another man’s dick. He’d touched his own often enough, wondering if Luffy would feel as good as he did.

“If you can manage it,” he challenges. What a stupid and brilliant thing to do, he realizes a minute later, when Luffy has him on his back, Law’s pants to his knees as the boy impatiently kicks off his own shorts, flinging them across the room.

“You’re really pretty like this,” the younger is saying, ducking to lick at the other man’s nipples, teeth tugging, “what’s this in my chest,” he murmurs against the abused flesh, “it’s, it’s like when someone hurts my nakama. This, you, no one can hurt you like I do or— shit, I don’t get it.”

Law’s thighs tremble at the implications of it. Luffy was honest, far too honest.

What he was describing was a fault found in many people, a dangerous thing that was both adored and abhorred.

What he was feeling was possessiveness. And it made Law terribly wet at the thought of it.

“So good looking,” Luffy keeps on mumbling, licking everywhere, “better than Sanji or Nami. You’re so good looking in bed Torao, I didn’t expect it. The way you grip the sheets, the way you keep flinching as I get lower,” Luffy wets his lips, gaze heavy on him, “I wanna fuck you now Torao, right now I think there’s nothing I want more.”

Law groans, chest heaving as Luffy hikes his legs up. “It’s like a girl right,” he’s asking once more, and Law glances away, teeth digging into his lip, _yeah,_ he grates out, _fuck— just, yeah._

He hadn’t understood what Luffy had been digging for in his answer, hadn’t understood what had been on Luffy’s mind but something hot and wet is at his hole, a rough thumb spreading his cheeks as Luffy’s other hand urges Law’s thighs to stay up. Luffy was licking him- licking _into_ him.

“Should be sensitive here then,” his voice vibrates against Law, and Law wants to reprimand him, wants to tell him that women were far more sensitive down there but that tongue inches inside, Luffy’s skin far too hot as it presses up against him to keep him steady and he thinks he should just shut up, he really should, because he was far more sensitive right now.

The mere notion of Luffy down there between his legs, preparing him, it had him turning to his side, mouth open against the pillow as Luffy’s thumb edges in alongside his tongue, opening him up wider—

“You’re not a woman,” Luffy decides suddenly, breathing a bit heavy himself, “so make me wet, Law. Make it easier.”

His hand is to his cock, and Law doesn’t even give himself time to consider what it is he’s doing right now in the boy’s dorm under the yard of the Thousand Sunny. This wasn’t even his cot, he’d hijacked it from someone else and here Luffy was with his hand to his dick saying Law should make it nice and wet for him.

So he ducks his head, getting a good taste with a broad lick as Luffy’s hips jerk. “Not rubber?”

“It is if I pull hard enough, but when it’s hard— when it’s hard,” he grunts, Law sliding his mouth over the girth of it, tongue pressing along the underside like a velvet cushion, “when it’s hard it doesn’t like to stretch as much.”

If Luffy wanted it wet then Law would make it wet. It’s hot and heavy in his mouth, the tip brushing his throat. Luffy’s hands abandoned the throbbing flesh for Law’s hair, his body hunching over a bit as he gasps wetly. He doesn’t even realize his fingers have hardened with armament haki until Law backs off with a _pop_ , and even then he can’t seem to get it under control.

Law seems to appreciate this, and Luffy, curiously, draws a finger into Law’s mouth, watching with dark interest as Law takes it in, tongue visibly moving about it in sinful curls.

“Law,” he rasps, “get on your back, hands, knees, I don’t care just—”

Law obliges, turning about in that small bunk, trying his best to will away the flush in his cheeks as he bares himself willingly to the younger boy. He’s got his ass somewhat in the air, elbows trembling below him as Luffy grips at his hips, trying his best to steady himself.

What had he expected?

He’d like to say the burn was welcomed, that the thought of Luffy above and in him was exciting enough to ebb the pain, but then he’d be lying to himself, and nothing got himself softer than a lousy lie.

“I,” Luffy breathes, “I can’t move, Law, if I move I might die.”

Law huffs a laugh, cheek pressed into the cool of the pillow. “You won’t die Luffy,” he whispers, “but I will if you stay like that.”

Luffy takes the hint and jerks back, before shoving back in and Law’s body shifts forward from the forced of it, and a small part of him firmly believes that that dick inside of him had stretched a bit from the motion, just for a moment.

“Again,” he gasps, and Luffy complies, nails biting into Law’s hipbone.

“You’re so good,” Luffy is babbling, “really good, too good. What should I do, now that I know it’s this good?”

Law’s feeling it, he’s really feeling it. He’s got his face shoved into he pillow to hide it, toes curling every time Luffy pushes back in, only to drag that throbbing dick back out. He’s ruined, he’s absolutely ruined— there was no one out there that could pretend to be Luffy. He was _fucked._

Luffy leans into his back, murmuring into his ear, “You got tattoos back here too Law, great big ones that ripple every time I smack into you.”

Law groans into the pillow, Luffy’s hand snaking around to pull at his dick.

“That feeling is back,” Luffy whispers, “the one where I don’t know what to do with myself. I— where should I come? Inside? It’s okay, right?”

Fuck, anything is okay, every thing is okay, forever okay. Luffy grunts, his thrusts heavier, harder, and he’d gotten what he’d wanted, hadn’t he? Law was begging, he was unabashedly begging, pleading with the boy to give him more, faster harder _more fuck didn’t you hear me more._

Luffy swears and there’s a heaping mess inside of Law, a hot, filling mess that trails down his thigh in cold, sticky drips. Luffy pushes in further through his groan, Law falling unto his stomach as Luffy fills him completely and utterly.

His stomach reveals his own release, the pillow wet from his open mouth.

“This time we tried it my way,” Luffy is saying, pulling out, “next time we’ll do it yours, and then we’ll do it against the wall, and in the yard— ooh the kitchen!”

Law hides his face, only for Luffy to wrench him away from the bed, forcing him to look at him.

“You wanna try too, right? Give me a few minutes, rubber always bounces back twice as fast.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a little something something

It's smart to just keep away, like a tedious game of _avoid the captain_  they wander about aimlessly, Luffy's footsteps ushering them elsewhere.

There were moments were this kind of momentous anger was welcomed, times where there were no chances of stepping in the crossfire. This was not one of those moments— crossfire was every damned inch of the Sunny.

"How could he just leave things at this," Nami is whispering, hunkered up in the tangerine trees with Usopp. "I'll gut him clean next time I see him."

Usopp waves her off, sighing. "It's not really Law’s fault that Luffy's like this."

Nami huffs, picking at a tangerine only to realize with horror that it wasn't ripe yet. She peels at it begrudgingly. "It's not like Luffy's upset that he left, he'd been upset before, hadn't he? And _then_ Law left."

"Eh," Usopp shrugs hopelessly, "we probably won't be seeing him for a while, so we might as well get used to it— honestly, waiting for Luffy to cool off was probably the smarter thing to do—“

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase _don't go to bed angry_ ," Nami swats at him, "this was the _worst_ thing he could do!"

They figure it'll end soon, really, whatever it was that was cackling like exposed wires between Luffy and the Surgeon of Death. However, they hadn't expected the newspaper that morning, or rather, they hadn't expected what was on it.

It's an outdated picture of Trafalgar Law, a new alliance with an oncoming rookie group declared in colored gusto— they even dare to question the Strawhats' affiliation with the man, and if this was the birth of a new pirate faction.

They can't show Luffy this. No way.

"I don't care what you have to do, I don't care about your damn morals or your honor or that you've got a _dick between those hairy legs cause yes, Zoro, I'm aware you're a man but sometimes men gotta suck it up too_."

They need to fix this.

"Usopp is better at cheering people up," the swordsman argues moodily, "or Chopper, he's a doctor, right?"

"You've known him the longest," Name points a sturdy finger at him, "count it as your bad luck."

And so Zoro obliges with a huff and a grunt and he's there leaning against the head of the Sunny as Luffy sits up there in uncharacteristic silence.

"I saw."

Zoro glances up at him curiously.

"I know you guys were trying to hide it from me but I saw."

They had taken a detour from their grand adventure, just a momentary thing as Cavendish confronts a few mounting troubles. Luffy had promised to be there for him, as had the others, and so there they were drifting along towards a cocooned island searching out glowing flowers. For medicine, Chopper had said, for Cavendish and his ailment. Hacuba was a heavy burden, after all.

"He said he'd be back for Kaido," Luffy says, "he said when we made our move on him he'd be there."

"It's just a rookie group," Zoro offers, "those kids he's partnered up with. Nami did a background check. There's nothing special about them, he's just using them to an ends we can't see. If we're taking a detour then there's no fault in him doing the same."

He feels an odd pressure to his person, and he realizes with minimal interest that Luffy is leaking haki.

"What could they possibly have that we don't," he mutters dangerously, and Zoro thinks on it, thinks on the boy and his age and the circumstances. Luffy was nineteen. He was rearing up twenty soon, sure, but at this very moment he was still a teenager.

Zoro doesn't ask, and he doesn't need to, Luffy talking unprovoked.

"He said I couldn't always go rushing into things, that I needed to stop and think sometimes, so I told him that thinking never got me anywhere, that I hadn't been thinking when I'd slept with him, that if I was always thinking I probably never would’ve—"

Ah.

Zoro grimaces, understanding how Law must've taken that, how any sane person would've taken that. Luffy quiets down, as if he too understands. "I hadn't meant it that way, I'd meant, like, that sometimes you just gotta shut up and _go_. That's how all the best things happen anyway."

Zoro snorts then, suddenly, and he can feel Luffy whirling to look down at him, frown plastered across his face.

"And you didn't tell him this?"

Luffy grumbles. "He did his stupid _room_ thing."

That submarine that had always tailed after them, the one with the bear and the loud Penguin, it had disappeared that day as well. “He,” Luffy whispers longingly, “he stole my heart.”

Luffy seems to be getting angry again, suddenly, and Zoro leaves him to it.

* * *

 

The Thousand Sunny could be a traitorous bitch sometimes.

Or maybe it was Nami, Zoro wouldn't put it past either one of them. Chopper and Robin sail the Mini Merry out to fetch some proper samples and Nami has them wandering off towards an adjacent island with a familiar yellow submarine poking out by the cliffside.

Luffy glares at it, bottom lip jutting out in thought.

"Why would he go here," Usopp is whispering. "He's got something he wants too, right? Whatever it is, is it here?”

"Strawhat Luffy!"

Penguin is waving his arms about like a buffoon, grinning all the while. Did he not know the dire circumstances of the Sunny, of the havoc their captain had wrought on the mentality of the ship?

Luffy waves his hat at the boy, and Penguin, albeit discreetly, jerks his thumb out towards the forest. “I imagine there’s something you _want_ in there, yeah?”

Zoro drinks with that man later, knocking glasses with him as Nami coos over the only female pirate amongst the submarine band, brushing out her thick waves with an oiled brush.

* * *

 

Luffy’s been following them, Law and this Edmund guy. Edmund the Heart Stealer, they call him, disgustingly fetching when coupled with the Surgeon of Death.

He had an ugly mug to him, big and brutish.

Luffy bites back a scowl. He knows he upset Law, but putting their argument to the papers was out of line. Every one would know they were having problems if he goes and runs off with the first crew he can find.

“What’s this all about,” Edmund grunts, “whatchu want all the way out here? I told you, doctor, I told you I wanted Strawhat.”

Luffy wavers a bit on that branch.

“Why do you want him?” Law’s voice is calm and deep and Luffy wants to lean into it.

“He’s the closest thing you can get to killing an emperor without killing an emperor,” comes a snort, “I ain’t stupid enough to challenge Kaido or Red-Hair, but Strawhat, well, I got a chance with that one.”

They continue on in the growing darkness, the foliage thick as it suffocates the sun.

“So stupid,” Law mumbles. Edmund stops at that. “The fuck you say Trafalgar?”

Law waves him off, chuckling as Edmund hesitantly follows after. “Just because Strawhat doesn’t have a fancy title doesn’t mean he’s easy game. I imagine you’ll lose under the minute.”

Edmund doesn’t like that, yanking Law’s shoulder back just as the surgeon’s fingers twitch— Luffy’s had about enough as he jumps down, stalking right up to Law, startling the both of them, peering up into that face.

“You really have that much confidence in me?”

“Strawhat—!”

“Law, you trust me don’t you? Sounds like you do, so what’re you doing here? I didn’t mean it, what I said— I mean I _did,_ but not in the way you took it.”

Edmund starts forward, but Law’s fingers do twitch then, the ground quaking. “Don’t even,” he says, eyes on the boy before him. “Then explain yourself to me.”

Luffy smiles, the ache in his muscles foreign after only a week of unhappiness. “I just meant that thinking too much isn’t healthy. You’ll always reconsider things, always weigh out every option and decide then that none of them are good enough. I don’t think when I take you to bed cause I know it’s the best option. What's there to think about?”

Well Edmund looks positively startled at that, spluttering.

“Law,” Luffy tastes the name, “come back with me, don’t be mad. Tell those newspapers, tell them we’re not finished yet. Tell them we still got to get to Kaido, and Big Mom, and then we’ll find something else to do. I’ll always find something else if it keeps you near me.”

Law smiles, just a little. “I never told the newspapers anything,” he whispers, “they just assumed. This guy, he’s a complete moron, but he bartered half his crew for a dyna stone— those explosive things, y’know? Just didn’t want him causing any trouble. In the end, Kaido will probably recruit him, and then we’ll have that fucking nuke to worry about so— ”

Luffy’s on his toes kissing him, _I don’t care._

That’s how Edmund ends up with a tree warped around him in a bind, struggling as he hollers about.

Nami mutters dangerous things, saying she’ll scalp Law, but really, from the way she’s eyeing them as they disappear into the cabin, she’s entirely too relieved.

“Ugh,” Penguin is groaning, “he’s been _awful._ Just sat there and stared at Luffy’s heart the entire fucking time. Sometimes he'd _pet it._ ”

“Wait,” Nami whips her head towards him, “Luffy’s _what_?”

Penguin nods his head towards the door of the sub. “His heart. C’mon, you’re really shocked?”

Well, in retrospect, Luffy had been wearing Trafalgar’s shirt for the past week, so they couldn’t have possibly known.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never shipped Luffy with anybody before what do I do what is life. Also, this could happen anywhere in the timeline I guess, idk.
> 
> Tumblr: threesipsmore.tumblr.com


End file.
